Electrolytic liquid treating device



Sept. 10, 1957 c. M. RADER 2,805,988

ELECTROLYTIC LIQUID TREATING DEVICE Filed Jan. ll, 1954 2,805,988 ELECTROLYTIC LIQUID TREATNG DEVICE Clarence M. Rader, Monterey Park, Calif. Application January 11, 1954, Serial No. 403,283 3 Claims. (Cl. 204-248) This invention relates to a device for treating liquid electrolytically and is especially adapted for such use where the liquid to be treated iiows along a horizontal pipe.

The salts and minerals present in water introduced into heaters and boilers has a tendency to form deposits on the inner faces of the metal walls thereof in what is known as scale. If no opposing force is set up this scale continues to be deposited and insulates the water from the metal wall of the heater or boiler to the point where there is a very low transfer of heat from the metal wall to the water so that destructive temperatures are set up in the wall causing this to burn out after a relatively short life.

The practice has long been followed to set up a counter force in the form of an electrolytic action in the water in such a heater or boiler which will prevent the formation of scale and the damage caused thereby.

This electrolytic action is effected by a battery comprising a series of galvanic cells, which are formed by connecting copper and zinc electrodes, and submerging this battery in the water in said heater or boiler. 'Ihis battery sets up an electrolytic force which renders the salts and minerals suspended in the water inert and also has the beneficial effect of causing any scale which has previously deposited on the inner surface of the heater or boiler in question to be dissolved in the water, leaving the metal surface clean.

The eiectiveness of the electrolytic device above described varies in proportion to the degree with which good electric contact is maintained between the electrodes of the individual cells as well as the electric contact maintained between adjacent cells. It is also important to suspend the battery of the device with the electrodes thereof as uniformly spaced as conveniently possible from the metal walls of the heater or boiler confining the water in which the device is submerged. Where the device must be located in a relatively short pipe of large diameter the suspension of the device in this manner presents a problem.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrolytic liquid treating device having a novel means for maintaining the electrodes of the battery in tight electrical contact over a long period of operation despite substantial erosion to which the electrodes are subjected, said means at the same time providing a mounting for said battery concentrically locating the latter within a large diameter pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrolytic device having a spring tension means by which the device may be subjected to fresh tension as the erosion of the electrodes proceeds to the point where the net length of the battery is substantially decreased.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a Simple and inexpensive spring mechanism, adapted to be employed in an electrolytic liquid treating device as aforesaid, which is inexpensive to manufacture and occupies a relatively small space on the axis of the device.

United States Patent The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objectsas' well as further objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection withY the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a horizontally disposed pipe which contains apreferred embodiment of the present invention, portions of the latter being broken away to show construction details thereof.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of an end portion of the device shown in Fig. l, said view being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. l

Referring specilically to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of theinvention illustrated thereinv corn-v Y prises an electrolytic water treating device 10 having an axial mounting rod'11 provided with threads 12 at its opposite ends and havingassembled on said rod a series of annular fcopper electrod S 13, zincelectrodes 14 .and spacers 15 -which separate said electrodes. Each adjacent pair of electrodes 13 and 14 and the collar 15 separating the same comprises a galvanic cell 16 and the series of these cells assembled on the rod 11 comprise a galvanic battery 17.

Provided at opposite ends of the rod 12 are two leaf spring means 18 each of which includes a pair of leaf springs 19 which are identical in structure and have central holes 20. The springs 19 are semi-elliptic in shape and are provided with matched tongues 21 and notches 22 at their opposite ends which interlock when said springs are placed together with their concave faces turned towards each other. The leaf springs 19 are thus assembled at opposite ends of the battery 17 with the rod 12 penetrating the holes 20 as well as spacer collars 23 one of which lies between the leaf springs 19 of each spring means 18.

When the two spring means 18 are thus assembled on opposite ends of rod 12 as shown in Fig. l, nuts 24 are screwed onto the threads l2 to compress the battery 17 between the two spring means 18. A substantial yieldable pressure is thus applied to the battery 17 by tightening up the nuts 24 to the point where leaf springs 19 are flattened out to a degree where central portions of said springs engage opposite ends of the spacing collars The device 10 is shown as installed in a horizontal water pipe P which is relatively short and of large diameter. The leaf springs 19 are shaped at their opposite ends as indicated in Fig. 2 to form blunt points 26 which fit snugly into the pipe P on a diameter of the latter thereby positioning the battery 17 substantially concentric with the pipe P.

As clearly shown on Fig. 2 the leaf springs 19 are of a restricted width so as to allow ample spaces 27 at opposite sides of each spring means 18 through which water can flow along the pipe P past the device 10. The leaf spring means 18 thus serve the dual function of mounting the device 10 in the pipe P and of maintaining the battery 17 under a relatively high degree of yieldable compression so that good electric contact is maintained between the electrodes of said battery for a relatively long period without attention to the same being necessary.

The invention also has the advantage of providing gauging means in the form of the spacer collars 23 in each of the spring means 18 which limit the amount of deformation which can be imparted to the leaf springs 19 by tightening the nuts 24. Damage to the springs and to the elements of the battery 17 is thus prevented and an indication given to the person assembling the device 10 when the proper degree of pressure has been applied to the spring means 18 by tightening on the nuts 24.

Parental sept. 1o, 1951 Another'feature of importance in the presentinvenpressedxbetweenl the' two spring means 18, by' again tight-Y eningon the' Ynuts 24 unti1rtheeo11fs ,zslialt-rirther tightening ofthenuts'll. Q 5 s il f The-claims-are:

LAn'electrolytic' liquid tre-ating devwawmprsing;

an vaxial rod; a series ofcentrally'A perforated metallic elements assembled on said rod; a pair of arcateleaf springs centrally aperturedand Vassembled on saidvrod; and means provided on opposite ends f said fodfand applicable to the aforesaid elements assembled'onsaid rodto compress the-same to resiliently'deform said leaf springs and cause Vthe latter to exert' a substantial yieldablepressure against said elementsmaintaining'the latter in'good electrical contact in spite of erosion of `said elements incidental to electrolytic activity, the width of said leaf springs being substantially less than their length, said springs being arched towards each other to bring their opposite ends into corresponding engagement; and intermeshing deformationsY formed in said leaf springs for preventing relative rotation of one of the springsof said pair relative to the other spring of said pair.

2. A combination as in claim 1 in which two such pairs of springs are provided on said shaft in substantial axial spaced relation, the blank outline of said leaf springs being adapted to substantially fit the inner diameter of a pipe, in which said device is made to be installed, whereby said leaf springs act to suspend said device substantially concentrically said pipe and yet allow liquid to ow freely `along said pipe over said elements and around said springs.

3. A combination as in claim 1 in which a spacer sur-V rounds said rod between said leaf springs to limit the distortion which may be transmitted to" said leaf springs by said compression means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,655,781 Caraccio Ian., 10, 1928 20 2,218,581 Levan, V oct. 22, 1940 2,603,596 Vangsnes i July 15,1952

FOREIGN PATENTS 345,332 Italy .v. Dec. 29, 19136 

1. AN ELECTROLYTIC LIQUID TREATING DEVICE COMPRISING: AN AXIAL ROD; A SERIES OF CENTRALLY PERFORATED METALLIC ELEMENTS ASSEMBLED ON SAID ROD; A PAIR OF ARCUATE LEAF SPRINGS CENTRALLY APERTURED AND ASSEMBLY ON SAID ROD; AND MEANS PROVIDED ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID ROD AND APPLICABLE TO THE AFORESAID ELEMENTS ASSEMBLED ON SAID ROD TO COMPRESS THE SAME TO RESILIENTLY DEFORM SAID LEAF SPRINGS AND CAUSE THE LATTER TO EXERT A SUBSTANTIAL YIELDABLE PRESSURE AGAINST SAID ELEMENTS, MAINTAINING THE LATTER IN GOOD ELECTRICAL CONTACT IN SPITE OF EROSION OF SAID ELEMENTS INCIDENTAL TO ELECTROLYTIC ACTIVITY, THE WIDTH OF SAID LEAF SPRINGS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THEIR LENGTH, SAID SPRINGS BEING ARCHED TOWARDS EACH OTHER TO BRING THEIR OPPOSITE ENDS INTO CORRESPONDING ENGAGEMENT; AND INTERMESHING DEFORMATIONS FORMED IN SAID LEAF SPRINGS OF SAID PAIR RELATIVE TO THE OTHER SPRING OF SAID PAIR. 